Vinicius Junior, subjected to racial abuse last weekend, will miss a second successive match due to a knee problem, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday. The 22-year-old Brazilian winger has received worldwide support since being racially abused by Valencia fans last Sunday. Los Che’s punishment was also reduced by Spain’s appeal committee, with a five-match partial stadium closure reduced to three games.
Vinicius did not play against Rayo Vallecano in Madrid’s midweek win because of some knee discomfort, but was present as his team-mates showed him their support by wearing his number 20 shirt before the game. He has failed to shake off the problem for today’s away match with Europa League finalists Sevilla.
“Vinicius will not travel because he will not play, he’d go if he had the chance of playing (but) his knee is still giving him problems,” Ancelotti said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s home or away, he can’t play. I hope that he can play in the last game.”
Vinicius was sent off against Valencia but his ban was later overturned by the Spanish football federation’s Competition Committee. One Sevilla fan group are encouraging supporters to protest against Real Madrid and their president Florentino Perez because of the decision by waving white handkerchiefs at the game.
Valencia contested their punishment following the incident and the Spanish football federation’s appeal committee reduced the sanctions against them yesterday. The Spanish side must close the south stand of their Mestalla stadium for three home matches instead of five, while their fine was also reduced from 45,000 euros to 27,000 euros.
Valencia host Espanyol today in La Liga in a vital match with both teams battling relegation, in which the stand will be closed. Three Valencia fans were arrested after the 22-year-old Brazilian winger was abused last Sunday during Los Che’s 1-0 win over Madrid. A court in Valencia opened an investigation into the abuse, and Vinicius will testify via video-conference, as he has done previously.
The Brazilian has been the victim of multiple instances of racism over the past two years in Spain. Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde showed his support for Vinicius despite the animosity between their two clubs, as Brazilian winger Raphinha also did with a message on his shirt in midweek. Vinicius said Spain was viewed as a racist country in his homeland Brazil and Balde, a Spanish international, said he has suffered issues himself.
“In the world of football I’ve not had a problem with racism but I have in the street, me and my family,” Balde said. “When I was little I remember playing in a park and the kids told me and my brother that their families did not let them play with black (children). My parents have had trouble getting work because of the colour of their skin. My brother has been stopped in the street and asked for his documents for no reason.”
Sociedad aiming for Champions League return against Atletico
Real Sociedad have not reached the Champions League for a decade but Imanol Alguacil’s side can qualify for Europe’s premier competition with just two more points from their remaining two games. The Basque side, fourth, visit Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid tomorrow, hoping to book their place before a potentially nervy final match of the season.
Villarreal, fifth, are five points behind La Real and must win their last two matches to stand a chance of reaching the Champions League. Atletico were dealt a blow on Wednesday when they threw away a three-goal lead on Espanyol and now trail rivals Real Madrid, in second, by a point.
Real Sociedad will be without playmaker David Silva, after he sustained a calf injury this week, ruling him out of their final two league games. The 37-year-old playmaker, who has signed a new contract until 2024, has been a key figure in La Real’s fine season and prospective return to the top level of European football for the first time since 2013.
Fixtures
Today (all times GMT): Sevilla v Real Madrid (1700)
Tomorrow: Valencia v Espanyol (1700), Cadiz v Celta Vigo (1700), Athletic Bilbao v Elche (1700), Girona v Real Betis (1700), Getafe v Osasuna (1700), Barcelona v Real Mallorca (1700), Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad (1700), Almeria v Real Valladolid (1700), Rayo Vallecano v Villarreal (1700)